Hold Up, Cadillac Might Sell Gas-Powered Cars After 2023 After All

Cadillac's electric vehicle efforts are going surprisingly well. With the Lyriq SUV selling better than expected, the Escalade IQ on the way, and the Rolls-Royce-rivaling Celestiq widening eyes, the American luxury brand seemed well-positioned to meet its goal of becoming a fully electric brand by 2030. Unless it decides it doesn't want to anymore, because now Cadillac is walking back its full-EV by the decade's end goal.

«We will be offering an all-electric portfolio by the end of the decade, and we will let the customer be our guide,» said Cadillac vice president John Roth, according to Automotive News. So there will be an all-electric line of cars from Cadillac but, if customers still want piston power, there will be gas cars, too. That's quite a different tune than what Cadillac was singing a few years ago.

Back in 2021, then-vice president of global Cadillac Rory Harvey said the brand was going all-electric after 2030. «We will be leaving this decade as an EV brand, as things stand today, which means that we will not be selling ICE vehicles by 2030.»

To be fair, that sort of EV uncertainty isn't unique to Cadillac. Mercedes also backed off its 2030 deadline for a hard EV switch and BMW has also said that it wants to continue selling gas cars into the next decade.

Roth claims that market and customer readiness are what's guiding the brand's future. «This idea of having the luxury of choice in our portfolio is a competitive strength,» he said.

Many customers seem to be choosing EVs, though. The Cadillac Lyriq is selling surprisingly well, given how new it is to the market and the expensive segment it competes in. Not only were its Q1 2024 sales massively improved over Q4 2023, but it also outsold every rival EV from BMW, Mercedes, and Audi so far this year.

While I would rather see Cadillac pick a damn lane, especially since the Lyriq is proving it can be a successful EV brand, I won't argue with more gas-powered cars if they're niche vehicles. For instance, if the majority of Cadillac's lineup is made up of EVs but it still sells cars like the CT5-V Blackwing, you won't hear any more complaints from me.

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